For a crime she didn't commit
by SandraSmit19
Summary: Green Mile Story. The story of Angela Davis, a young woman accused of a crime she didn't commit.
1. Chapter 1 : Arrival

A/N : I now know that writing a sadistic character is alot easier than writing a kind and caring character. Maybe that's just the sadistic part of me, I don't know, lol. I can't guarantee the quality of this story as I've already written a story about this movie, and I usually don't do well the second time around but I've tried my very best. You'll have to forgive me if I repeat names alot, I do this because I want to make absolutely sure that everyone knows who's talking when and what they're saying. If Angela comes off as too naïve or too sweet, that's because she is. The story starts just before the movie begins and will be intertwined with the movie. In case you're wondering why a female would be brought to the Green Mile, just think that it's because there were no execution facilities at the women's prison, or there was no room.

Angela Davis blinked as the sunlight hit her eyes, and groaned as she stretched her back and her legs. She had been sitting in the van she had just stepped out of for a long time and everything hurt. She started when she felt a hand on her arm, and looked up, straight into the blue eyes of a very big man. She had been in awe of him when she had first met him at the women's prison and she was still in awe now. She must have been gawking at him because he smiled softly at her.

"This way," he said in a surprisingly soft voice, pointing at the building in front of them.

Angela nodded dumbly and looked away from the big man to look at the building. She took a deep breath as she looked at the large building in front of her, ignoring the cat calls coming from some of the barred windows. She prepared to follow the big man, as he started walking, when suddenly she felt her arm being grabbed by someone, who roughly started pulling her along. Angela looked at the man holding her arm, he was only about two inches taller than her 5 foot 4 inches, and he didn't look very strong, but Angela couldn't break his grip.

"Let's go, little girl," the man said "We aint got all day."

"Percy," the big man warned. "Let her go."

The man, Percy, stopped and turned around to look at the big man.

"Don't go blowing your top, I'm just taking her to her cell," Percy said.

The big man pulled Percy away from Angela and gave him a slight push.

"I can do that just fine," the big man said, gently guiding Angela forward.

Percy was left behind as they walked on. Angela was brought to her cell by Brutal and he opened the door. Angela stepped into the cell and grimly looked around. She wasn't so naïve that she didn't know what a jail-cell looked like but she'd never been in one before. She jumped a bit when Brutal closed the door, and she heard someone snicker behind her. She looked back and saw Percy standing there. Brutal threw Percy a warning glare before walking off, Percy followed him after throwing Angela one more disturbing look.

Not long after the big man came back, this time accompanied by more men in the same uniforms. Angela's face contorted into a grimace when she noticed Percy was there as well.

"Miss Davis," an unfamiliar man began. "My name is Paul Edgecomb, this here is Harry Terwilliger," he said, pointing at an older man, then pointing at a younger and very skinny man "this is Dean Stanton. And I believe you've already met Brutus Howell, nicknamed Brutal, and Percy Whetmore."

During the last two introductions, Edgecomb pointed at the big man and the man she already knew to be named Percy. Whereas Brutal merely nodded at her, Percy threw her an eerie smile. Angela quickly forced her attention away from the creepy man, and looked at Edgecomb as he started talking again.

"We will be here during the two weeks before the day of your execution, if there's anything you need and it's within certain boundaries, you may ask any one of us for it."

Angela nodded and privately told herself to never ask Percy Whetmore for anything. Angela took the opportunity to study Edgecomb's features. He looked uncomfortable, almost as though he was in pain.

"Now," Edgecomb said. "Is there any particular name you want us to call you by?. Your first name or your last name?"

Angela thought for a moment and then said, "Angela's my full name, my momma always calls me Angel. Either will be fine, I suppose."

"I talked to your mother, she's a good woman," Brutal said, softly.

"That she is," Angela said, with a small smile. "She's very sweet, though she's had it rough. I sometimes wonder how she did it, raise three kids all on her own. It couldn't have been easy."

Brutal wanted to ask what had happened to her father, the file had said nothing about her father whatsoever, but he didn't want to upset her. It wasn't his business anyway. Percy, however, had no such reservations.

"What happened to your daddy?" he asked, bluntly.

Angela didn't say anything, and merely stared at the ground. Edgecomb scowled at Percy, and Stanton and Terwilliger shook their heads at Percy's coldness.

"Dammit Percy," Brutal said.

"What?" Percy asked, feigning innocence. "I was just asking."

"He died when I was four," Angela's voice cut in before Brutal could say anything else. "My mother raised me and my brothers from then on."

Percy didn't look like he cared one bit but he was obviously hell-bent on hurting her feelings.

"Did he kill himself or did someone else do it for him?" Percy asked.

"Christ Percy, what's the matter with you?" Edgecomb exploded.

Percy backed away from the angry guards in front of him

"Never mind," he quickly said. "I have to get back to work anyway, we have another criminal coming in. Some of us actually work around here."

Percy walked off with Dean Stanton and Harry Terwilliger behind him, and Brutal took a calming breath.

"Man doesn't know when to quit," Brutal said to Edgecomb.

Edgecomb nodded in agreement and turned to Angela.

"My apologies for his behaviour just now. Percy doesn't seem to understand that in the Mile we hold no personal grudges against any of the death row occupants, regardless of what they've done," Edgecomb said.

Angela nodded and clutched the bars in front of her. Edgecomb and Brutal shared a look and Brutal nodded.

"I read in your file that you did alot of reading when you were a child," Edgecomb said, changing the subject. "Do you still like to read?"

Angela nodded with a smile. "I read as much as I can."

"Well, it may be possible for us to get you some books. Nothing fancy, you understand. Just something to keep your mind off things," Edgecomb said.

"That would be wonderful," Angela enthused, her face lighting up.

"Paul?" Dean Stanton's voice came. "The next prisoner will be here in half an hour."

Edgecomb looked at Stanton and nodded.

"We have to get back to work," Edgecomb said. "Remember, holler if you need anything."

Angela nodded and Edgecomb and Brutal went to move away.

"Boss Edgecomb," Angela's voice rang out before he could walk away.

"Yes, Angela?" Edgecomb said.

"If you read my file, why are being so nice to me?" she asked, frowning.

Edgecomb was silent for a brief moment, before saying, "I don't believe you did what they're accusing you of."

And he didn't. This young girl had been accused of killing and disposing of three men, all three of them twice her size. She was 5 foot 4 inches and couldn't weigh more than 100 pounds, soaking wet. There was no way she killed those men. Angela seemed surprised at this but she said nothing. Edgecomb walked off, and after a last glance at Angela, so did Brutal.


	2. Chapter 2 : New Prisoner

A/N : Like I've mentioned earlier, my story will be intertwined with the movie. Because of this some parts of my story are rather tedious, but I prefer that over rushing my story and not writing it properly. Just try to bear with me, please. The last chapter was on the 23rd of June, 1939 just like this chapter, don't ask me where I got the date, I just made it up. Hair and eyecolour will be revealed as the story continues. If there are some inconsistencies, please forgive me, it's been a while since I've seen the movie.

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June 23, 1939.

Angela took the time to look around and she noticed that there were three other cells on the E.Block and that all were empty but two. Arlen Bitterbuck, she had been told, was in the cell across from her and Eduard Delacroix was in the cell farthest away from her. She had heard Percy say that there was another prisoner coming so she guessed that that prisoner would fill up the only empty one. At the end of the Mile was a small version of the 'hole', a padded room where violent inmates were sent to cool off. Angel guessed that it wasn't used much as there appeared to be furniture in it. She sighed and walked back to her cot. She was slowly dozing off when she heard Brutal's voice.

"Paul?. Prisoner"

Angela couldn't hear the reply and she could barely hear the rest of what Brutal said. The new prisoner had arrived, and Angela wondered what he'd be like. She closed her eyes as she felt the familiar curiosity well up inside of her. She had always been curious by nature, which was what had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

(Flashback)

Angela smiled as she crossed the yard back to the farm, basket filled with mushrooms under her arm. She frowned as she saw the door to the shed standing open. It was never open. She slowly walked to the shed, knowing that she should be getting back to the farm. Her momma was expecting those mushrooms. She walked on, her curiosity burning inside her.

(End Flashback)

Angela started when she felt a hand touch hers. She looked up and looked into the worried if somewhat pale face of Paul Edgecomb.

"Are you alright, Angela?" he asked.

Angela took a deep breath and nodded. Edgecomb looked sceptical but moved away, he had other things to do at the moment. He walked to the end of the Mile and took up position at an empty cell. Angela looked at Edgecomb as he stood near the padded cell. Brutal was standing on the other side of the Mile, waiting for the prisoner.

"Damn" Brutal said "Theyre riding on the axle. What'd they do, bust the springs?"

Angela didn't know what an axle was, and she didn't know what he meant by springs but he sounded like he was in awe so it must have been something special. Angela waited anxiously for the new prisoner to reveal himself when a loud creaking reached her ears.

(Flashback)

The door to the shed creaked loudly as she opened it and Angela winced, she had wanted to quietly peek inside and then leave again, but it seemed the door was determined to make it impossible. She wrinkled her nose as she entered, there was a foul smell in the shed and yet she still continued.

She slowly walked through the shed and coughed as the smell got worse. Her eyes widened as she saw the foot of a humanbeing lying in the straw. She had seen enough and went to run out when someone grabbed her from behind and whirled her around.

(End Flashback)

Angela's flashback was ended once more when the voice of Percy Whetmore came to her ears. He was yelling and hollering "Dead man walking". Angela looked up but couldn't see anything yet.

"Jeezus, pleeze-us, what the hell's he yelling about?" Edgecomb asked, irritably.

Angela was wondering the same thing until the new prisoner entered the prison, ducking low to get through the door. Angela's blue eyes widened considerably when she saw the huge black man coming closer. Percy was still hollering until Edgecomb told him to shut up. Percy fell silent and Angela smiled at that. Percy swung his hickory baton and narrowly missed Angela's hand.

"Percy" Edgecomb warned.

Percy said nothing but he glowered at Angela before moving on. The procession came down the Mile with Brutal and Dean bringing up the rear.

"You sure you wanna be in there with him?" Brutal asked Edgecomb.

Edgecomb looked at John Coffey and said "Am I gonna have trouble with you, big boy?"

Coffey shook his head slowly and Edgecomb entered the cell, followed by Coffey. While Coffey and Edgecomb were in Coffey's cell, Percy turned his attention to Angela. Angela frowned and moved back a little, but Percy merely smirked and indicated his keys. Angela swallowed hard and backed up even more. Brutal turned to Percy and scowled.

"Percy…" Brutal began, seeing how much he was scaring Angela.

"What?" Percy said "Don't know what you so worked up about, she'll be dead in two weeks anyway"

Edgecomb overheard the comment and stared angrily at Percy, who was still leering at Angela.

"Percy, they're moving house over in the infirmary" Edgecomb said "Why don't you go see if they could use some help?"

"They got all the men they need" Percy said, not taking his eyes off Angela.

"Why don't you just go make sure?" Edgecomb insisted.

Percy finally turned away from Angela and looked at Edgecomb.

"I don't care where you go, Percy" Edgecomb said, before Percy could speak "As long as it's not here at this very moment"

Percy flushed red. He looked like he was about so say something but he thought better of it and turned away. Delacroix was at his bars, smiling. Infuriated, Percy swung his baton again but this time he hit home. Del's fingers broke with a loud crack.

"Oww, god" Delacroix howled "He bus' my fingers"

Angela gasped and Percy threw her a disturbing smirk.

"That could have been you, little girl, that could have been you" Percy yelled over Del's howls.

"Goddamn it, Percy. Get the hell off my block" Edgecomb yelled.

Percy threw Edgecomb a disdainful look before leaving. Angela slowly sank to her knees as she looked at Del and she realized that two weeks was going to be a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3 : Mesmerized

A/N : I'm picking up right where I left off, after Percy breaks Del's fingers. Like I said, I prefer to do this slowly and properly. Thank you all for your reviews, they are what keep me writing this fic. This fic, of course, centers around Angela, meaning I'll be stuffing her name in everywhere I can. After all, there's no point in writing the fic if most of it is the same as the movie. _Joli gamine_ means 'Pretty little girl' or at least I think it does.

Del was on his knees, weeping from the pain and tears came to Angela's eyes. She had always been sensitive to other people's pain and this was no different.

"Oww" Del cried "Damn, boss, he done bus' my fingers for true…"

"We'll get it looked at, Del" Edgecomb said "Now keep yourself quiet like I said"

Angela thought this was very cold, but she supposed he had a job to do. Angela surreptitiously wiped her tears away and glanced at the enormous man standing no more than a few feet away from her. Angela swallowed hard. She had thought that Brutal was big but this man towered over Brutal. He didn't seem dangerous but Angela knew that things weren't always what they seemed.

(Flashback)

Angela gasped as she came face to face with her grandfather. He looked bewildered as he looked back and forth between his granddaughter and the body on the ground.

"What have you done?" he whispered.

"Me?" Angela squeaked "I haven't…I wouldn't…I"

But her grandfather wasn't listening, he was already pulling her to the door.

"Grandpa, where are we going?" Angela asked, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, child, but we must see the sheriff about this" her grandfather said.

"But I haven't done anything" Angela said, softly.

Her grandfather merely shook his head and pulled her with him.

(End Flashback)

Angela snapped out of her reverie just as Coffey asked whether or not they kept the light on after bedtime. Angela's face softened at this, if the man was scared in the dark how bad could he be?. Angela looked at the other guards and found that Brutal was looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, not wanting to disrupts Edgecomb's talk with Coffey.

Angela nodded slowly and Brutal reluctantly turned away. Angela turned back to Edgecomb and Coffey to find Coffey offering his hand to Edgecomb. Angela smiled softly, the big man wasn't so bad, at least he didn't seem bad.

Edgecomb accepted the handshake with trepidation and Angela couldn't blame him. Edgecomb left the cell and Brutal locked the door after shutting it. Brutal then once more turned to Angela.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Brutal asked.

"I seem to remember asking you the same thing, I wasn't too sure about your answer either" Edgecomb said.

"Just reliving some bad memories, this place seems to make them worse" Angela said, softly.

Edgecomb noticed the tension in Angela's stance and decided to change the subject.

"I spoke to the warden about those books I promised you and he said I could bring them in tomorrow, would that be alright?" Edgecomb asked.

"That would be just fine" Angela said, smiling.

Edgecomb nodded and walked off, followed by Stanton and Terwilliger, Brutal lingered for a moment.

"You look pale" he said "I'll get you some water"

"Thank you" Angela said, blushing.

Brutal followed the others into the small office and went straight to the tap. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water, before taking it back to Angela. Stanton and Terwilliger followed him with their eyes and then turned to Edgecomb.

"You don't suppose Brutal has a bit of a crush on our pretty little convict, do you?" Stanton asked.

"The girl will be executed in two weeks time" Edgecomb said quietly "He knows better than that"

"Do you think she did it?" Terwilliger said, indicating Angela's file.

"No" Edgecomb said "Do you?"

Brutal, in the mean time, gave Angela the cup of water and she took it gratefully. She drank some of it before taking a breath. Brutal stood there, watching her drink the water. He didn't know what was wrong with him but he was mesmerized by this tiny young woman.

She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful, nor was she especially intelligent but something about her made his heart beat faster. He shook himself and smiled slightly when Angela handed the cup back to him. Angela wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and Brutal sighed.

So young, so innocent, Brutal thought before shaking his head and walking back to the office. Angel rubbed her burning cheeks to try and get rid of the blush than was once again creeping up on her, she knew Brutal was only being nice to her but she couldn't help but blush whenever he was around. He was very handsome, and very kind. Angela sighed as she laid herself down.

Angela sighed again, she was bored out of her mind. There was no one on the Mile but her and John Coffey, as Delacroix had been taken away to what Boss Stanton had called the infirmary. Angela didn't know what that meant but she hoped it had something to do with his fingers and not with his sentence. _Is that where I'm gonna go when I have to die?,_ Angela wondered. _The infirmary?_.

Angela was extremely relieved when Del was brought back to the Mile. She breathed a sigh of relief earning her a puzzled look from Boss Stanton. Angela merely smiled and when Stanton was gone, Angela approached her bars.

"Del" she called quietly "Are you okay?"

"I be fine, joli gamine" Del said softly "I be fine"

Angela nodded, not quite daring to ask what _joli gamine_ meant. She didn't like not understanding things but she knew that sometimes it was better not to ask questions.

(Flashback)

The following events happened fast, too fast for Angela. She had never been stupid, but she had never been one for quick thinking either. One minute she was talking to the sheriff, the next he was taking her with him. Her mother fiercely protested as they took her away, yelling that she hadn't done anything.

While being brought to the sheriff's office, Angela learned two things. The first thing was that there had been three bodies in the shed and the second thing that one of the bodies belonged to a young man who had worked for her mother some months earlier.

This young man had harassed Angela in the past, making her a very likely suspect. Angela cried as they took her away, sometimes life just wasn't fair.

(End Flashback)

Angela sighed as she snapped out of flashback, if only she had known where she would be not long after, the last thing on her mind would have been how unfair it was.


	4. Chapter 4 : Mouse in the House

June 23, 1939. 

Angela was startled awake later that night by something furry touching her hand. She looked at her hand and saw two very small and very beady eyes staring back at her. Any girl would have been startled by the presence of a little brown mouse but not Angela, she was a farm girl, and there were tons of mice on a farm.

Sometimes her bedroom would be crawling with them and whereas her mother had always considered them to be filthy animals, Angela thought they were cute. Angela carefully sat up and the mouse positioned itself in her palm. She chuckled as the mouse's furry little face tickled her hand.

"Hey there, little cutey" she whispered "Whatcha up to?"

The mouse chittered softly and Angela chuckled again. She kept quiet when she heard a chair moving in the office down the mile and tensed. When no footsteps were forthcoming, she relaxed again and looked at the little mouse again.

"I don't have any food for you I'm afraid" she whispered.

The mouse tilted his head slightly and rubbed its front legs over its face. Angela watched fascinated as the mouse cleaned himself completely.

"Angela?" Brutal's voice came "Are you okay?"

The mouse was startled and he jumped off her hand onto the bed and from the bed onto the floor and shot off down the mile.

"Yes" Angela said softly "I'm fine, you scared my mouse though"

"Your mouse?" Brutal questioned.

Angela nodded and got off her cot to walk to the bars. Once there she looked across the mile and searched for her furry little friend. She smiled when she saw him and pointed at him. Brutal turned and looked, smiling when he saw the tiny mouse.

He chuckled softly trying hard not to wake the other cons in their cells by laughing too loud. Paul Edgecomb and Dean Stanton entered at that minute and looked at Brutal like he was crazy.

"I guess the legislature loosened those purse-strings enough to hire on a new guard" Brutal said to them softly.

Edgecomb and Stanton apparently still didn't see anything because they still looked at Brutal as though he were crazy and Angela giggled softly.

"Look again" Brutal said "He's right there"

Edgecomb and Stanton looked again and this time they saw it. The mouse was coming up the mile, trotting a short distance and peering right and left before making another forward spurt.

"He's doing a cell check" Edgecomb whispered.

Now all three of the guard were trying not to laugh. The mouse drew even closer and Stanton looked on worriedly.

"It aint normal for a mouse to come up on people that way" Stanton said "Maybe it's rabid"

"It's not" Angela said softly "It's just curious"

"The big mouse expert" Brutal said, referring to Stanton "The Mouse Man. You see it foaming at the mouth, Mouse Man?"

"I don't see its mouth at all" Stanton said.

Angela burst out laughing at that and her laughter proved to be infectious. They all laughed as the mouse stopped before them and peered up at them, curling its tail around its paws. The guards and Angela fell silent as Arlen Bitterbuck stirred in his cell, sitting up to watch.

"Maybe it's hungry" Angela said "I told it I didn't have anything to eat"

Brutal nodded and tore off a piece of his half-eaten corned beef sandwich, holding it delicately out with two fingers. The mouse rose up, appraising the morsel with shiny black eyes.

"Go on" Angela whispered "He wont hurt you"

The mouse looked at Angela for a moment before approaching a little bit more and grabbing the piece of sandwich. After eating the scrap of bread the mouse turned and scurried up the mile, vanishing under the restraint room door at the far end.

"He's in the damn restraint room" Stanton said "You know he's gonna be chewing the padding out of walls and making himself a nice little nest"

"All right" Edgecomb sighed "Let's get the damn mouse"

"Don't hurt him" Angela whispered after them and Edgecomb couldn't help but be touched by the simplicity of her request.

"We wont hurt the mouse" Edgecomb muttered as he, Brutal and Stanton strode down the mile to the restraint room door "But we aint leaving it there neither"

"Saw me a mouse go by" Coffey, who was now awake, said softly.

"It was a dream" Edgecomb said "Go back to sleep"

"Weren't no dream" Coffey insisted "It was a mouse all right"

"Can't put anything over on you" Edgecomb sighed as he unlocked the door.

From where she was standing Angela could see that the room was filled with cleaning supplies, buckets of paint, mops and ladders.

Brutal shrugged off his jacket and Angela couldn't help but marvel at his strong build before turning away slightly with a blush on her cheeks. Edgecomb grabbed a mop from a steel bucket and handed it to Stanton.

"Dean, watch the door. He tries to get past you…" Edgecomb said, trailing off when he noticed Angela watching him with big blue eyes.

He knew that if they killed the mouse she would never forgive them.

"If he tries to get past me, what?" Stanton asked.

"Just try to stop him somehow" Edgecomb said.

"How?" Stanton asked.

"I don't know" Edgecomb said exasperatedly.

Brutal and Edgecomb started doing the heavy lifting, muscling an unused filing cabinet out the door, after much hard work they finally relayed the last few heavy buckets of paint onto the Mile. Edgecomb and Brutal were catching their breath, scanning the empty restraint room. Their eyes went glaringly to Stanton.

"You let him get past you" Edgecomb accused.

"No I didn't" Stanton protested "I was here all the time"

"Then where the hell is he?" Brutal asked.

They moved slowly into the room, peering into every nook and cranny, utterly mystified. Brutal shook his head.

"Three grown men" he sighed "Outsmarted by a mouse"

"Well, bright side is, all this commotion probably scared him off for good" Stanton said.

"Yeah, that's right. That's the last we'll see of him…" Edgecomb said.

Angela surpressed a giggle as she sat on her cot, holding the mouse in her hands. She wasn't so sure about that.


	5. Chapter 5 : Stuck In Love

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June 24, 1939

Angela stifled a giggle as she read the book in front of her, she didn't want to bother anyone but it was a very funny book. Boss Edgecomb had come to her earlier that day with three books. Angela had been delighted, she now had books to read to kill the time. It wouldn't be until later that it would occur to her that she really didn't want to kill the time, that she was quite content to have it drag on, instead of flash by. But for now she was glad to have something to do.

She looked up from her book when she heard a squeak. She put the book down and got up from her cot. She walked to the bars and peered at the office down the mile, pressing her face up against the bars. The tiny little mouse was sitting right in front of the door opening of the office. Percy Whetmore, who had been combing his hair, was staring at it, dumbfounded, his hands still in mid-comb.

"You little son of a bitch" Angela could hear him say.

"Well, I'll be damned" Terwilliger said "There he is, big as Billy-be-frigged. I thought Brutal was pulling my leg"

Angela didn't know who Billy-be-frigged was but he couldn't be very big if he was as big as the mouse.

"That's a goddamn mouse" a man named Bill Dodge said.

"Yeah" Terwilliger said "Brute said he was in Angela Davis' cell last night begging for food, sat right on her lap"

Angela didn't even hear her own name being spoken, she was thinking about what Terwilliger had just called Brutal. 'Brute'. Angela blushed as she thought of Brutal again and shook her head. She didn't know what was wrong with her but it was making her feel all funny.

"My ass" she vaguely heard Bill Dodge said "Give him some room, Percy, see what he does"

Angela was still contemplating the strange feeling in her chest and stomach when she was startled out of her mind by a bellowing cry let out Percy. Angela looked at the office, her heart pounding like mad only to see Percy march by, chasing the mouse while trying to stomp it.

"No" Angela cried "Don't hurt him"

Percy either didn't hear her or ignored her and continued to stomp down the Mile. The mouse won and zipped to safety under the restraint room door. Percy pounded his fist against the door in frustration.

"Fuck" he swore, fumbling with his keys.

He unlocked the door all the while yelling "I'm gonna rip your diseased heard off, you little piece of shit"

Angela heard Terwilliger say something to someone and next thing she knew, Edgecomb and Brutal came charging by. Percy was wildly throwing things out onto the Mile and Angela was getting very worried for the mouse's safety.

"You leave him alone, you animal. He's done nothing to you" Angela yelled, surprising everyone, including herself.

"You shut up, you little whore" Percy yelled back causing Angela to take a shocked step back "Or I'll let you have some of what I'm gonna give that mouse"

"Percy" Edgecomb warned.

Brutal seethed as he heard this and he advanced towards Percy only to be stopped by Edgecomb.

"No, he's not worth it" Edgecomb said.

Brutal looked at Percy for a moment before nodding.

"Knock yourself out" he said to Percy "Hope you nail the bastard"

Edgecomb and Brutal both crossed their arms and leaned back to watch Percy haul all the stuff out of the restraint room only to find that the mouse wasn't there.

"Gosh" Brutal said, keeping a straight face "Aint in there, huh?. Don't that beat the mousie band?"

Angela giggled as Percy scanned the room again, not quite believing that the mouse was gone.

"Percy" Edgecomb said "You want to think about what you were doing just now?"

"I know what I was doing" Percy said, glaring at Edgecomb "Trying to get the mouse. You blind?"

"You also scared the living crap out of me and Bill" Terwilliger said before pointing at the inmates "And them"

"So what?" Percy asked "They aint in cradle-school, case you didn't notice. Although you treat them that way half the time"

"We don't scare 'em any more than we have to, Percy. They're under enough strain as it is" Brutal said.

"People under strain can snap. Hurt themselves. Hurt others. That's why our job is talking, not yelling. You'll do better to think of this place like an intensive care ward in a hospital" Edgecomb said.

"I think of it as a bucket of piss to drown rats in. That's all. Anybody doesn't like it can kiss my ass. How's that sit?" Percy asked.

Angela put a hand over her mouth as she heard this.

Brutal stepped forward again, wanting to slug the little bastard. Percy shied back but kept his bravado up.

"Try it" Percy said "You'll be on the bread lines before the week is out"

"We all know who your connections are, Percy" Edgecomb said, stepping closer "But you ever threaten a man on this block again, we're all gonna have a go. Job be damned"

"Big talk" Percy said "You done?"

"Get all this shit back in the restraint room. You're cluttering up my Mile" Edgecomb said.

Edgecomb, Brutal and Terwilliger walked back to the office leaving Percy behind.

"I still don't get where that mouse went" Terwilliger said, passing Angela's cell.

"Same place he went last time" Angela said.

Brutal, Edgecomb and Terwilliger turned to Angela and gawked as they saw a tiny little head peek out of her sleeve. She giggled and smiled brightly, making her entire face light up. Brutal had to force the butterflies in his stomach down.

It was madness to fall in love with a convict, especially one who would be executed in just thirteen days, but then why did his stomach flip flop every time he saw her?. And why did his heart start beating faster?. He shook his head, it was hopeless but he couldn't help it. He was stuck in love.


	6. Chapter 6 : A Brutal Blush

A/N : Just a question to my reviewers, should Angela be executed or not?. Let me know. Just a short chapter this time, I couldn't seem to write a longer one, maybe I'm losing my touch.

__

June 25, 1939

Angela was silently standing at her bars, hardpressed to stop herself from laughing. Only moments ago she had watched in horror as Percy Whetmore set up a trail of bread scraps and mouse traps. She had been convinced that her little mouse would be killed and there was nothing she could do about it.

Now though, she was holding her breath, trying hard not to laugh. As Percy sat with his back to the desk in the office, waiting with baited breath to see if the mouse would show up, the actual mouse himself was sitting underneath the desk, peering in the same direction as Percy. _Probably wondering what that loony tune is looking at,_ Angela thought with a smile, before accidentally letting out of a short laugh.

Percy's head shot up and in her direction and Angela's smile disappeared. She swallowed hard as Percy's eyes landed on her. He smirked sadistically.

"That's right, bitch" he said in a low voice "You're precious mouse will be nothing but a patch of fur and some blood when I'm done with him"

Angela scowled but couldn't help but back away. She gasped involuntarily when she saw the mouse step out a few more steps. Percy turned and looked at the mouse, and the mouse looked right back before all hell broke loose.

Percy raced after the mouse, hollering and stomping all the way, mousetraps snapping and flying all over the place. Angela sighed in relief when the mouse disappeared underneath the restraint door. Percy looked up and to Angela and John Coffey's cells in disbelief.

"Saw me a mouse go by" Coffey said.

Angela giggled at this and Percy lost it, kicking and punching the restraint room door in a screaming rage.

Angela sighed as she put her book down. She had been moderately entertained by the book for the better part of the afternoon but she couldn't get her mind off a few things. Percy had stalked off in a hissy fit earlier and after Angela had told Edgecomb and Brutal what had happened, Edgecomb had sighed and said:

"Man never learns. Still, something's bound to give one of these days, maybe then we can get some peace around here"

What did he mean by something's bound to give?. Would Percy give up or would the mouse be caught?. Angela tried to shake it off but found that she couldn't. Then there was the fact that they had taken Arlen Bitterbuck away and although they had taken him back, she couldn't help but think he looked gloomier than he had before. Why was that?.

Angela was snapped out of her reverie when Brutal came walking up to the bars. She smiled automatically and he smiled back.

"Lunch time" he said softly and Angela nodded.

She wasn't feeling very hungry as her stomach seemed to be filled with nothing but weird and fluttery feelings lately, but she didn't want to insult him by not eating. She put her book down and approached the bars as Brutal opened the door.

Angela's cheeks burned as she came closer to Brutal and when she looked up at Brutal she was very surprised to find that his cheeks had gone red as well. She didn't know if it had anything to do with her but a girl could dream, couldn't she?. Brutal placed the platter on the small table in the cell, next to her other two books and smiled.

"Enjoy your meal" he said.

"Thank you" Angela whispered.

Brutal left and Angela rubbed at her cheeks, it seemed to her she had been doing alot of that lately. She supposed it was only natural if a woman saw a handsome man, she would blush, but she had never blushed in the presence of a man before. She almost giggled when she thought back to the redness in Brutal's cheeks. _I guess women aren't the only ones who blush_, she thought before grabbing a sandwich from the platter and laying herself down again.


	7. Chapter 7 : Deserted by a Mouse

A/N : I wanted to say thank you for all of your reviews, they truly encourage me to keep going. Sorry about not updating in a while but I've been very busy. To Solitaire's Mornie : I understand what you're saying but I am basing this story on the movie, not on the book, so I think I should leave it where it is. Thank you for telling me that though. Whether or not Angela dies remains to be seen so please keep telling me what you think should happen. Once more, Joli Gamine means 'Pretty little girl'.

June 26, 1939

Angela sat on her bunk, a frown on her face, her book forgotten. Arlen Bitterbuck had been taken away the night before and this time he had _not _been brought back. Angela was generally very bad at estimating what things meant but she knew this had to be bad. _Why would they take him away and not bring him back?_.

A loud sound startled Angela and when she looked up, she saw Percy Whetmore standing at her bars. Angela got off of her bunk and frowned at Percy, who merely smirked and sadistically as he banged his baton on her bars again. Angela winced and Percy's smirk widened.

"What's the matter, pretty girl?. Can't take a bit of noise?" Percy mocked.

"Leave me alone" Angela said, trying to calm her nerves.

"Why would I wanna do that?" Percy asked, pretending to be puzzled.

"Because the lady said so" a voice said from beside Percy.

Angela's heart skipped a beat as Brutal stepped up to Percy and Percy stepped back. Angela broke into a smile as she watched Brutal scare Percy away just by looking at him. Percy scowled at Brutal and then turned to Angela, who had approached the bars.

"It don't matter anyhow, you'll be following in Bitterbuck's footsteps soon enough, let's see you smiling then" Percy spat before quickly walking off.

Brutal shook his head in consternation as he watched Percy go. Brutal turned to Angela, who was standing at the bars, her small hands wrapped around them, her head down and her eyes troubled.

"Damn him" Brutal whispered before stepping forward.

Brutal hesitated for a moment before placing one of his hands over one of Angela's. Angela looked up at Brutal, then down at their hands.

"You okay?" Brutal asked.

Angela nodded mutely, still looking at their hands. Brutal went to pull his hand away but Angela grabbed it in a flash of courage and held it for a moment longer before letting go. She blushed as he looked her in the eyes but there was a smile on her face.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Brutal smiled back and nodded before stepping away and walking back to the office. Angela slowly walked to her bunk and sat down. She sighed as she thought of holding Brutal's hand and rubbed her cheeks, trying to make them stop feeling so hot.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Why did he have to go and leave me?. Angela winced as she heard the giggling start up again. She knew why Delacroix was giggling, she knew what was so funny and she couldn't believe it had happened.

"Damn him" she whispered before clasping her hands over her mouth and blushing.

She could barely believe she had just said that. So Del now had her companion. Big deal. Her heart sank as she heard the giggling again. Who was she kidding?. It was a big deal. Angela looked up to see Paul Edgecomb walk down the Mile and to Delacroix's cell.

Edgecomb walked off again and soon came back with Brutal and Stanton. By then Delacroix was cackling wildly and Angela scowled. The guards spoke with Delacroix and for the most part Angela couldn't hear what was being said but she could hear Del laughing and it bothered her.

"Mr Jingles?" Edgecomb suddenly questioned.

"Dat his name" Del said.

Angela scoffed and turned her head away. Brutal and Stanton turned to Angela in surprise as Edgecomb continued to talk to Del. Angela felt no surprise. She was in a huff and when she was in a huff, she said and did things she normally wouldn't say or do.

"Is something wrong, Angela?" Brutal asked.

But Angela didn't respond, she just kept her head turned away, her arms crossed, her fingers drumming on her arms.

"She's sulking" Brutal whispered with a smile.

"She's cute when she sulks" Stanton commented softly.

Brutal threw Stanton a sharp look, that he himself didn't quite understand, before turning back to Edgecomb and Delacroix, who had now been joined by Percy Whetmore.

"Well, well. Looks like you found yourself a new friend, Eddie" Percy said.

"Don' hurt him, 'kay?. 'kay?" Del asked.

Percy shrugged and looked at Edgecomb.

"That the one I chased?" Percy asked.

"The one you couldn't catch you mean" Angela commented, still in a huff.

Percy glowered at Angela as Edgecomb answered.

"Yes, that's the one. Only Del says his name is mr Jingles" Edgecomb said.

"Is that so?" Percy asked.

"Del was just asking for a box. He thinks the mouse will sleep in it, I guess. That he might keep it for a pet. What do you think?" Edgecomb asked.

"I think it'll shit up his nose some night and run away, but I guess that's Del's lookout. We oughtta find a cigar box. Get some cotton batting from the dispensary to line it with. That should do real nice" Percy said.

Percy walked off, leaving everybody dumbstruck. Edgecomb turned to the others. Of all the things they had seen in the last few minutes, Percy being nice was the most amazing of all.

"Man said get a cigar box" Edgecomb muttered only to be interrupted by Del's chuckling.

"Shut up, Del" Angela suddenly yelled.

"Angela" Edgecomb scolded, good-naturedly.

"Well…" Angela said "Why should I have to listen to him cackling away when all he did was steal my mouse?"

"Your mouse?" Stanton asked.

"Yes, my mouse" Angela said, with a look on her face that spelled out 'Do you have a problem with that?'.

"I didn't realize you two were so close" Edgecomb said.

"Of course you didn't" Angela said "And why should you care that I've been deserted?"

"Oh, joli gamine" Del said "He ain desert you"

Del put mr Jingles down and he ran over the floor to where Angela was. Angela smiled softly as the mouse entered her cell. She got off her bunk and put her hand on the ground and the mouse climbed on her hand and sat there, looking at her. Angela chuckled and stroked the mouse gently while the guards looked on in silence. Angela sighed, so he was now Del's mouse, she could live with that. As long as he was a happy little mouse.

Angela's mouth fell open as she read from her book, her eyes widened as the monster closed in on its victim.

She stood in the open field, her heart pounding madly, her bare feet aching from running on the harsh and cold ground. She saw nothing and heard nothing, but she could smell the scent of the beast. Its rotting odour too strong to be missed. Too strong to be ignored.

Slowly she backed away from where she believed the stench to be coming from but just as she prepared herself to turn around and run…

"You haven't killed nobody" a soft but deep voice suddenly said.

Angela yelped and dropped her book to the ground. She looked up and to her left, to Coffey's cell. She hesitantly got up and walked to the bars.

"What?" Angela asked softly.

"I can tell by looking at you, you haven't killed nobody" Coffey said softly.

Angela looked at Coffey in surprise and continued to look at him for a long while, trying to figure out where the wisdom in his eyes came from.

"You was set up, wasn't you?" Coffey asked.

Angela nodded slowly before saying "You haven't killed anybody either, have you?"

Coffey slowly shook his head and Angela's face fell. They were both in the same situation, they were both being accused of something they hadn't done and they were set to be executed for it.


	8. Chapter 8 : Of Screaming and Healing

A/N : Time for some Wild Bill Screaming and John Coffey Healing, not necessarily in that order. Sorry for taking so long with my updates, I have no excuse, I've been lazy. Here's the next chapter, though, I hope you all enjoy. Now I know that her constantly reading books and not doing much else can get mighty boring but how many wild adventures can one have on deathrow?. Anyway, here's chapter 8.

June 27, 1939 

Angela frowned as she watched Paul Edgecomb move around the Mile. He looked feverish and clammy, as if he was in great pain. She didn't know what it was that caused him pain but whatever it was, it had to be awful for him to look so bad.

"Are you alright, Boss Edgecomb?" Angela asked softly as he passed her cell while doing a cell check.

Edgecomb turned at the sound of her voice and looked into her worried blue eyes.

"I'm fine, Angela, don't you be worrying about a thing" Edgecomb said, wincing slightly as he moved.

Angela frowned, she didn't like accusing people of lying but she knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. He looked pale and sick, not at all alright.

"Don' look so good, boss. Look like you runnin' you a fever" Del commented.

Edgecomb shot him a look before moving on. Angela turned to Coffey's cell when she heard him call out to Edgecomb.

"Boss Edgecomb?. Needs ta see you down here, boss" Coffey said softly.

"Got things to tend to just now, John Coffey. You be still in your cell now, y'hear?" Edgecomb called back.

Coffey fell silent and Angela sighed as she watched Edgecomb walk painfully down to the entrance door. He peered through the viewing slot, apparently waiting for something.

--

Angela looked up from her book when she heard a commotion at the entrance of the Green Mile and she got up to have a look. She approached her bars and pressed her face against them to be able to see and saw that they were bringing in a new prisoner.

Angela thought she could hear Coffey whisper something but she didn't look at him, she wanted to see the prisoner. The locked door opened and they brought a man with a glazed look in his eyes in, a man they had to guide along. Angela frowned, was he retarded?. She had barely finished thinking this when the glazed look in his eyes disappeared and a wild grin appeared on his face. A crazed screech leapt from his throat.

"Yeeeehaaaaawwwwwroooo" the man hollered.

Chaos ensued as the man grabbed hold of Dean Stanton and started choking him. Angela gasped in shock as Edgecomb was kicked in the groin, Terwilliger was elbowed in the face, Percy was standing around like an idiot and Stanton was being choked to death. Out of nowhere a hand grabbed Percy's hickory stick and landed an awesome blow to the man's head. Angela almost smiled when she saw Brutal standing over the new and insane prisoner.

"Brutal" she whispered.

"Big fucker" the lunatic choked out "Snuck up on me. No fair"

Brutal whacked the man again and this time he was knocked unconscious. Brutal helped Stanton up and instructed him to breathe slowly and steadily. Edgecomb, in the mean time, was glaring at Terwilliger. They argued for a few moments about how it could have happened before they hoisted the insane man into his cell. A man Brutal, when Angela asked, identified as William Wharton, also known as Wild Bill.

Stanton was taken to a doctor by Terwilliger and Brutal, Percy was told to make a report to the warden and Edgecomb would oversee the Mile until they got back. Angela worriedly looked on as Edgecomb lowered himself to the ground in pain. There was short period of silence before Coffey's voice once more rang out.

"Boss?. Needs ta see ya down here"

"This is not a good time, John Coffey" Edgecomb murmured into the tiles of the floor "Not a good time at all"

"But I needs ta see ya, boss" Coffey insisted still in the same soft voice "I needs ta talk to ya"

Edgecomb sighed as he rose with a supreme effort, using Angela's bars to pull himself up. Angela wasn't sure if she was supposed to help him but figured she couldn't just stand around doing nothing, like Percy, and grabbed hold of his arm to help him up. When Edgecomb was standing he gave Angela a brief nod, before walking to Coffey's cell.

"Closer" Coffey said as he waited at his bars.

"I'm alone here right now, John. Figure this is close enough" Edgecomb said.

"Boss, please. I got to whisper in your ear" Coffey said.

For some reason, Edgecomb complied and came closer to the bars where he was grabbed by Coffey and pulled into the bars after Coffey proclaimed he only wanted to help. Angela gasped and Del started hollering.

"HELP" Del yelled "JOHN COFFEY'S KILLING BOSS EDGECOMB. HELP"

Angela merely looked on in consternation.

"John, what are you doing?" Edgecomb choked out.

Coffey now had his hand on Edgecomb crotch and although Angela couldn't clearly see anything happen, she did notice a change in both Coffey and Edgecomb. There seemed to be a rush of energy, passing from Paul to Coffey's hand and then suddenly it was over. Coffey let go of Edgecomb and Edgecomb stumbled away from Coffey's cell. Del was still yelling.

"Del" Edgecomb yelled "Christ's sake, settle down, I'm fine"

A frown came to Edgecomb's face.

"I'm fine" he repeated and indeed he seemed to be just that.

His face was slowly regaining its colour and he didn't appear to be sweating anymore. Coffey wasn't doing so good.

"John" Angela stressed, drawing Edgecomb's attention away from himself and to Coffey "Are you okay?"

Coffey was in no condition to answer however. He sat down on his bunk, bent forward and gagged like a man with a chicken bone caught in his throat. Edgecomb fumbled with his keys, unsure if he should even enter, as the big man's contortions grew worse. Coffey suddenly reeled back and his mouth opened wide as a cloud of tiny black insects came out. The insects flew around for a while before disappearing into nothingness.

Edgecomb questioned Coffey about what he had done but Angela didn't hear it. Angela was a simple girl, with a simple mind, a mind that didn't allow for supernatural things and this...Sounds were becoming vague, her vision was becoming blurred and she just barely managed to whimper 'Help' before passing out.

A/N : Well, not much romance in this one. Don't worry, it will get more romantic as time goes by. The chapter also doesn't really have much to do with her but again, don't worry. As her execution date gets closer, the chapters will revolve around her, more and more. Please review and let me know what you think.


	9. Chapter 9 : Petrified

_June 27, 1939_

"Angela, Angela..." a voice called from far away.

Angela slowly became aware of her surroundings as she floated back to consciousness. She was on her bunk in her cell. Her head was spinning, not to mention pounding, and when she opened her eyes, she was forced to quickly squeeze them shut again.

"Angela" the voice said again, much clearer this time "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes again, much slower this time and after her vision cleared she saw Brutal leaning over her, a concerned frown on his face.

"Hey" he said softly, with a smile, relief evident in his voice.

Angela tried to smile back but only managed to grimace as the pain in her head intensified.

"Try not to be moving too much" Edgecomb called from behind Brutal "You took a nasty fall there"

Brutal nodded grimly before smiling again. Angela tried once more to smile and this time managed, though just barely. Their eyes met and time seemed to stop. Angela felt her headache fade to the background, all that she could see was Brutal's soft blue eyes.

Brutal was having a similar experience, he vaguely heard Edgecomb say something but couldn't make out what it was. All that mattered was the young girl in front of him.

A fierce stab on white-hot pain making its way through Angela's skull and her agonized cry ended the moment and Angela squeezed her eyes shut. Brutal looked on worriedly as she clutched her head. He was about to turn around to call for Stanton to get her some aspirin when Stanton appeared with just that.

After taking the aspirin and being left alone to rest, Angela started feeling a little better, until the memories of the bugs that came from John Coffey's mouth came back. She slowly got up and looked in the direction of John Coffey's cell.

Coffey was laid out on his bunk, probably asleep. Angela sighed in disappointment at not being able to ask him what had happened but decided to let him sleep, she needed sleep herself anyway.

_June 28, 1939_

Angela shifted uncomfortably for the umpteenth time. She had a frown on her face, her hands were trembling and her stomach was twisted into a knot. The inconvenience she was experiencing had nothing to do with where she was, or even what she was facing in just nine days from then.

Her impending execution was weighing down on her mind to be sure but she was able to find distraction from it. Del's mouse mr Jingles, her books and her occasional talks with the wardens helped her with that. The chat she had with Brutal every morning was sacred to her, she wouldn't have missed it for the world. She would have to be half-dead not to get up and talk to him, and even then she imagined she'd drag herself to the bars.

Her cheeks burned a little at that thought but the tingling sensation in her body was quickly replaced by a much less pleasant sensation, the sensation of being watched. Which brought her back to why she was shifting in such an uncomfortable way. It had to do with the man who was currently in the cell across from hers. Wild Bill Wharton.

The man, or monster as Angela preferred to think of him as, had been brought in the previous day in a very dramatic way. He had choked Dean Stanton, and assaulted Paul Edgecomb and Harry Terwilliger until Brutal had knocked him out. He had been dragged into his cell and left to sleep off the effects of two massive blows to the head.

Angela hadn't known what to expect when he'd awaken but she had known it wouldn't be anything good. As it turned out, she had been right. The second Wharton had spotted her, he had taken to hooting at her, yelling obscenities at her and more embarassingly, making obscene gestures at her.

Angela had turned away and managed to block out the gestures that way, but his hollering was everywhere. She had sat on her bunk with her hands over her ears, praying that he would stop soon. It had taken the 'gentle' persuasion of Brutal and Edgecomb to actually shut him up.

That's when the staring started, the incessant ogling and gawking of the man was driving her up the wall. No matter which way she turned, she could feel his eyes roaming her body. She wished they would turn off the lights so that he could no longer see her but she knew they wouldn't. The wardens had to be able to see the prisoners at all times. Besides, John Coffey was afraid of the dark and she didn't want to be selfish. Angela turned her back to the bars and tried to read her book but it was useless.

"Can't you look at someone else?" she blurted out, turning to Wharton.

Wharton gasped mockingly and said "Pretty lady talks. Whas the matter, lil' girl?. Do I make ya nervous?"

"You're making my skin crawl" Angela retorted, feeling brave because of the bars and distance seperating them.

"What a pretty lil' skin 'tis" Wharton drawled "I wonder what it'd be like to cut you..."

Angela's mouth dropped open with shock.

"...peel that skin right off them bones..." Wharton said alot louder.

Angela covered her ears with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut but Wharton went on.

"...make ya scream like a lil' bitch" he hollered.

"Ey" Del called "Don' be saying that to her"

Wharton ignored Del and continued to spout sick and obscene things until Edgecomb came out of the office and scowled at Wharton.

"Wharton, shut up" Edgecomb yelled "Don't make us warn you again"

Wharton, surprisingly, immediately kept quiet but Angela had a feeling it wasn't because he was scared. The frightening smirk on his face only served to strengthen that belief. _If I ever meet him without bars between us, I am in so much trouble, _Angela thought as she resolutely turned her back on him again.


	10. Chapter 10 : Irrational Fear

June 29, 1939 

Angela woke up that morning to the scent of something absolutely wonderful. She sat up groggily, and rubbed her eyes, wondering what had caused the smell, when she saw Paul Edgecomb standing at John Coffey's bars. He was whispering, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. The smell got even better when Coffey opened the bundle he had been given and uncovered a cornbread.

"This all for me?" Coffey asked shyly.

Edgecomb nodded. Angela was slowly beginning to water at the mouth, and she blushed at the thought of drooling over food, though she supposed she couldn't blame herself. She had never been much of an eater but after eating nothing but prison food since she had been brought there, she couldn't help but swallow hard at the thought of cornbread. She vaguely heard Del say something before she tuned into the conversation.

"Can I give some to Del?" she heard Coffey ask Edgecomb.

"It's yours, John" Edgecomb said "You do with it as you please"

Coffey handed some of the cornbread to Edgecomb.

"Here's for Del and mr Jingles then" Coffey said "And Angela, this is for you"

Angela got up as Coffey held some of the cornbread out to her. She reached through the bars, never once thinking that it might be dangerous as she knew in her heart that John Coffey was far from dangerous, and took the cornbread from his enormous hand.

"Thank you, John" Angela said softly and gratefully.

"Hey" Wharton yelled, making Angela cringe "What about me?. I'm'a get some too, aint I?"

Coffey looked over at Wharton before looking back at Edgecomb.

"It's yours, John" Edgecomb answered the unspoken question "As you please"

"Well. Fine. I think I'll keep the rest, then" Coffey said before digging in.

Edgecomb then brought the cornbread to Del and mr Jingles.

"Hey. What about me?" Wharton cried "Don't you hold out on me, ya big dummy nigger"

Angela gasped and almost choked on her cornbread. She couldn't believe what he had just said. Edgecomb was obviously very angry about it as he stepped to Wharton's cell.

"You'll keep a civil tongue on my block" Edgecomb said.

Wharton merely grinned however and spat in Edgecomb's face, his grin widening after doing so. Angela looked on breathlessly as Edgecomb wiped the spit away.

"You'll get that one for free" Edgecomb said throught gritted teeth "But that's the last one"

Edgecomb walked away and Wharton laughed, hollering after him "That's it?. Just that little bitty one?. Guess I'll have to pay out for the rest, huh?"

Angela shook her head in disgust, how horrible could a man be?. She all but jumped back when Wharton whirled around to look at her. His face split into a maniacal grin and Angela shuddered.

"Whas t'matter, little girl?" Wharton taunted "Scared?"

"Only of catching your diseases" Angela blurted out.

Del laughed softly at this but Wharton scowled, making Angela even more nervous.

"You pray before you go to bed at night, little girl?" he asked.

"Sometimes" Angela said, not liking where this was going.

"You best pray t'night, you best pray I never get my hands on you" Wharton said softly, before turning away.

Angela swallowed hard as she sat down on her bunk, her heart going eighty miles an hour, her skin clammy and her mouth dry.

The rational part of her told her that she didn't have to worry about him ever getting his hands on her, there were bars between them, there was no way he could get to her, and even if he could. Wouldn't Brutal protect her?. Yes, he would.

The scared part of her, however, yelled at her that she should have kept her mouth shut. So what if he stared at her?. So what if he made her nervous?. Now he was mad at her and that was ten times worse.

What if he _could_ get to her?. What if he escaped somehow and managed to find the keys to her cell?. She desperately tried to suppress the insane thought running through her mind, but it was no use. She was afraid, deathly afraid of Wild Bill Wharton.

A/N : Very short chapter I know, and half of it isn't even about Angela, but I've got writer's block in a big way. I wasn't even sure if I was going to post today. I hope I haven't rushed it and messed up the story. Romance will come once I can figure out how to make it believable. Tragedy usually does the trick, or the need for protection. On a side note, the insult towards Coffey about being black is not of my own making, it comes straight from the movie.


	11. Chapter 11 : The Very First

_June 29, 1939_

Harry Terwilliger was walking down the Mile doing a cell check and writing on a clipboard. He paused at Wharton's cell when a long stream of urine hit his leg. Wharton was peeing on him. Terwilliger jumped back and Wharton howled with laughter.

"Yeehaaw" he cried out "Good shot, weren't it?. Oh, the look on your face"

Edgecomb and Brutal came running towards Terwilliger, who was looking at Wharton with a stunned look on his face.

"You believe this?" Terwilliger said to the other wardens "Son of a bitch pissed on me"

"Hey, d'yall like that?. I'm currently cooking some turds t'go with it" Wharton taunted "Nice soft ones. I'll have 'em out t'yall tomorrow"

Angela shuddered in revulsion as Edgecomb, Terwilliger and Brutal shared a look and Edgecomb nodded at the restraint room.

"We've been looking to clear that room out anyway" Edgecomb said.

Before long all the stuff in the restraint room was hauled out and past Wharton's cell.

"Hey. Whassit now, movin' day?" Wharton heckled them "Y'all wanna come in and dust a little?. Y'can shine my knob for me while yer at it"

Angela frowned in consternation, didn't the man have any shame?. Edgecomb and Brutal stepped to the bars, Edgecomb carrying a canvas straitjacket with him while Brutal pulled his nightstick.

"You can come in here on your legs but you'll go out on your backs, Billy the Kid guarantee ya that" Wharton warned before motioning to Brutal "C'mon, fuckstick. No sneakin' up on me this time. We'll go man to man..."

Angela snorted at that. Wharton didn't stand a chance against Brutal when it was man to man.

"...see who's the better fel..." Wharton continued before cutting himself off when he saw what was going on.

Terwilliger was standing in front of him with a fire hose pointed at him. The hose erupted, driving Wharton across the cell with bone-jarring force. Angela clapped a hand over her mouth, not quite suppressing a smile. The water battered him half-senseless before it was cut off and Wharton collapsed in a heap.

Edgecomb and Brutal dragged him semi-unconscious from his cell and got the straitjacket on him. He came around as they drew the straps tight and pulled him to his feet.

"C'mon, Wild Bill" Edgecomb mocked "Little walky walky"

Angela giggled at this and Wharton turned to her and tried to attack her, only to be held back by Edgecomb and Brutal. Seeing he couldn't get to Angela, he turned back to Edgecomb.

"Don't call me that. Wild Bill Hickock wasn't no range rider. He was just a bushwackin' John Law. Dumb sonofabitch sat with his back to the door and killed by a drunk"

"Oh my suds and body" Brutal said in his soft voice "A history lesson. You just never know what you're gonna get when you come to work every day on the Green Mile. Thank you, Wild Bill"

Wharton let out a scream of rage and threw himself at Brutal, who merely shoved him back to Edgecomb. Edgecomb then propelled Wharton down the Mile and toward the open restraint room door. Wharton apparently didn't want to go in because he started begging.

"Oh, not in there. C'mon now, I'll be good. Honest Injun I will. No. No" Wharton shouted, suddenly falling to the ground and bucking and jerking wildly, spewing drool.

"Holy Christ" Terwilliger exclaimed "He's pitching a fit"

Edgecomb obviously wasn't impressed as he started dragging Wharton kicking and writhing the rest of the way.

"He'll be fine, boys" Edgecomb said while doing so "Trust me on this one"

Brutal helped Edgecomb toss Wharton headlong into the padded room before slamming the door. Noise erupted from the small room before Wharton yelled out "All I wanted me was a little cornbread, you motherfuckers"

Angela shook her head, if all that was about a piece of cornbread, Wharton was a sad, sad man.

_June 30, 1939_

The first thing, Edgecomb and Brutal did that day was unlock the restraint room. Angela couldn't hear or see him but apparently he had been punished enough since they hauled him out. Wharton looked pale and drained as he was released from the straitjacket and pushed back into his cell. Angela sighed, maybe now he had learned his lesson. Maybe now he wouldn't be so loud and obnoxious anymore. Yeah, and maybe now pigs could fly. Angela shook her head and turned away from the bars. Her face fell as she looked at John Coffey, who was now on his bunk trying to sleep.

"That poor man" she said to Edgecomb and Brutal, who were still standing in the Mile "He told me what had happened the day he was accused of murder. How he tried to bring the two girls back to life after finding them, and how he couldn't. When they found him holdingthem close, they thought he was the murderer. And now he's going to be executed for something he didn't even do"

Edgecomb and Brutal shared a look. Here she was feeling sorry for John Coffey, when she was in exactly the same situation. Brutal looked at the small girl standing on the other side of the bars and covered one of her small hands with one of her own. Angela started but then smiled at him. Brutal smiled back as Edgecomb looked on. Something passed between them and Edgecomb didn't like it.

"Brutal, I'm gonna head back to the office now, why don't you come with me?" Edgecomb asked.

"In a minute" Brutal said, still looking at Angela.

Edgecomb frowned at this but he merely nodded and walked to the office. Edgecomb was worried, very worried, about his friend. Angela Davis was set to die in just seven days and here it looked as if Brutal had developed feelings for the girl that went beyond friendship. Edgecomb knew there was no way of getting around Angela's execution, only a miracle would save her, and when the time came and Angela was put to death, Brutal would be left behind. He shook his head as he sat down at the desk, all he could do was wait and see what happened.

Angela and Brutal in the mean time were lost in a world of their own. Angela's heart was pounding madly as she stood there, as close to the man in front of her as she could be with the bars between them. Brutal was intently staring into her eyes, as if trying to find the answer to a question that was bothering him. Their faces were drawing closer and closer together, and they were unaware of the fact, or maybe they were very aware, but unwilling to stop it.

Just as their lips were about to touch, Wild Bill Wharton started hooting and hollering. Brutal closed his eyes and swore under his breath. He went to turn around to say something to Wharton when two small hands grabbed his face and turned him back. Soft lips touched his but they were gone before Brutal could respond.

Angela was shocked as she drew back, she couldn't believe what she had just done. _What must he think of me?,_ she thought frantically. The smile that broke out on Brutal's face took all her doubts away, however, and when Brutal drew Angela towards him again and their lips met once more, all hesitation was gone.

"Hey, hey" Wharton called "What about me?. I'm wanting me a bit of that"

Brutal and Angela pulled apart, their eyes locked on eachother.

"I'm sorry, Bill, I don't think Brutal swings that way" Angela blurted out, blushing as she realized what she had said.

The smile reappeared on Brutal's face as Del started laughing. John Coffey, who had been awoken by Wild Bill's hooting and hollering, looked on, confusion marking his face.

"He don't swing what way?" he asked softly.

Angela threw Coffey a warm smile and giggled "Never mind, John"

Wharton, however, was far from amused. He was scowling at Angela as he walked backwards to his cot. He sat down, not taking his eyes off of the young girl, and Angela swallowed hard. She had done it again, she had insulted Wild Bill Wharton. A large and warm hand covered her hand again and when she looked up she looked into the gentle face of Brutus Howell.

"Don't worry about him, he wont hurt you, he'll never go anywhere near you" Brutal said softly.

Angela nodded, hoping that what he said was true. If it wasn't, she'd be in more trouble than she could handle.

A/N : Well, there it is, the first kiss. I do hate having to rush things like that but what with her only being there for two weeks it has to fast or there will be no time for more romance. I just hope none of you are running away from this story now. Please review and let me know what you think, or if you wont review, at least keep reading, I'll definitely keep writing.


	12. Chapter 12 : Trapped

_July 1, 1939 _

John Coffey was sleeping, Eduard Delacroix was watching mr Jingles, Wild Bill Wharton was quiet and Angela was jumpy. Angela's jumpiness had everything to do with Wharton's silence. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she had mouthed off at him and it made her more than a little nervous.

She knew there were bars between them, and it was highly unlikely that they would every meet without the bars between them, but somehow that didn't stop her from feeling nervous. _Never mind, Brutal will protect me, _she thought.

Angela broke into a silly grin when she thought about Brutal. _We kissed, _Angela thought, just barely suppressing a giggle, _I can't believe we kissed_. She knew in her heart that it was hopeless, she knew that they could never be, but it was really all she had left to cling to. Her execution was set for July the 7th, only six days later.

Angela wasn't the brightest girl in the world, but she knew very well that in six days her life would end. Six days. It seemed so unreal, so impossible. _I am to be executed,_ she thought, and found that the thought didn't scare her. _Maybe I'm not afraid to die_.

Angela sneaked a peek at Wharton's cell and noticed with some relief that he was no longer looking at her. He was looking at Toot-Toot, an amiable and slightly crazy old man, who was mopping the floor. Angela wasn't sure if Toot-Toot worked at the Green Mile or not, but she liked him, so it didn't really matter.

Wharton was fixated on the old man, and Angela couldn't help but wonder why. She had to strain her ears to hear what he was saying to Toot, but she thought she heard him mention a moon pie. Toot nervously looked around, not looking behind him where Angela was watching, and swapped the moon pie for something. Toot hurried away and Angela looked at Wharton again. He was unwrapping a strange looking candy bar and, not knowing he was being watched, crammed the whole thing into his mouth.

Angela wrinkled her nose and looked away. She continued to look the other way until she became aware that Brutal was doing a cell check. She smiled at him when he came to hercell and he smiled back before jotting something on his clipboard.

Angela got up while he was writing and walked to him. She stood in front of him and smiled up at the big man. He gently grasped one of her hands and placed a soft kiss on it before he looked up and kissed her softly on the lips. Angela stepped away from him with a smile, and allowed him to continue his job.

After checking Del and John, Brutal arrived at Wharton's cell. Wharton was standing at the bars, staring ahead, his cheeks bulging outward. Brutal stepped closer, fascinated, when suddenly Wharton slammed his fists into his own cheeks, propelling a disgusting spew of liquefied chocolate sludge into Brutal's face. Angela gasped in surprise and Wharton shrieked with laughter, falling back onto his bunk.

"Li'l black Sambo, yassuh, boss, yassuh, howdoo you do?" Wharton mocked.

"Hope your bags are packed" Brutal said calmly, wiping at his face.

Before long Wharton was dragged to the restraint room, kicking and screaming all the way. He was tossed in and the door slammed shut. Brutal turned away from the room, still wiping the sludge off.

"The moon pie thing was pretty original" Edgecomb said "Gotta give him that"

Brutal nodded when suddenly Angela caught his eye. Her head was down, her shoulders were shaking and she was trembling all over. Brutal went to say something but Edgecomb beat him to it.

"Angela?" he questioned "Are you okay?"

Angela shook her head but didn't look up. Brutal walked to her and touched her shoulder. When she looked up, he was shocked to find that she wasn't crying, she was laughing.

"It was disgusting, but it was also one of the funniest things I have ever seen" Angela laughed.

Inwardly Brutal was happy to see her laughing, outwardly he frowned and turned to walk away.

"No, wait" Angela cried.

Angela grabbed hold of his jacket and he allowed her to pull him back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh" Angela said, still half laughing.

Brutal just sniffed but smiled when Angela kissed him on the nose.

Edgecomb was watching all of this without speaking up. He had had a feeling that there was more between them, and now it appeared his feeling had been correct. Edgecomb prayed that Brutal knew what he was getting himself into, he could be severely hurt if he didn't.

Brutal, however, knew exactly what he was getting into. He knew he was setting himself up for a world of hurt. Angela was set to be executed in just six days, and only a miracle could stop it now. He also knew that if he continued the relationship, he would likely fall in love with her, if he wasn't already. He knew all of this, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He could no longer pull back, he cared too much to do so. All he could do was take it one day at a time, and pray, pray that somehow she would be saved.


	13. Chapter 13 : Attacked

A/N : Okay, I'm really sorry about the endless delay but I have next to no inspiration for this story at the moment. I am not giving up on the story, but new chapters just don't come as easily as they should. I will try to be a bit quicker in my next update but I can't promise anything. I wanna add that someone has left a review saying that this should be in the book section. It shouldn't be, since I based this story on the movie, not on the book. Here's chapter 13, I hope you like it.

_July 1, 1939._

Later that day, Angela was restlessly walking back and forth in her cell. They had taken Del away, saying it was to be a big day for him and mr Jingles. Brutal had told her that they were going to show mr Jingles' tricks to some important people, but what if he was lying to protect her feelings?. What if he had been executed already?. Brutal sighed from where he was leaning against the bars of her cell.

"Angela" he said softly "I told you, he and mr Jingles just putting up a performance for some people. He'll be back"

Angela stopped walking and looked at Brutal.

"But there will be a day when he wont come back" Angela said quietly.

Brutal slowly nodded as Angela walked to him. She stood in front of him and reached out for him through the bars. Brutal sighed as he hugged her as best as he could, wanting nothing more than to open the cell door and hold her properly but he knew that it wasn't allowed, the mere fact that they were having a relationship was against the rules.

"There will also be a day when _I_ wont come back" Angela whispered.

Brutal closed his eyes and nodded stiffly. Angela took his face into her hands and he opened his eyes to find her studying him closely.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"For what?" he whispered back.

"For being here to hold me, for making me feel safe and wanted" Angela said softly "I don't know what I'd do without you"

Brutal smiled gently and softly kissed Angela on the lips. She beamed at him when the broke away, and that smile, he mused, made it all worth it.

Edgecomb, Stanton, Terwilliger and Percy were talking by Del's cell, waiting for him to come back. Angela watched them with no small amount of disbelief as Percy actually seemed to fit in. He actually looked happy. Coffey was lying on his cot as he usually did, but Wharton was watching the three men, just like Angela was. Angela was glad that Wharton's attention wasn't on her for a change, so she thought nothing of it.

When Del, carrying mr Jingles on his shouder, and Brutal came walking in, Angela smiled. She was glad that Del had returned and happy to see Brutal again.

"Well?" Edgecomb inquired.

"They love mr Jingles" Del said excitedly "They laugh and cheer and clap they hands"

"That's wonderful, Del" Angela enthused.

Del smiled at Angela "Thank you, joli gamine"

"Yeah, that's just aces" Percy said "Pop back in your cell, old-timer"

Del's mouth all but fell open as he heard Percy's amiable tone. He gave Percy a look of mistrust and of course Percy couldn't resist to taunt him. He bared his teeth and curles his fingers as if to grab him. Del jerked back in fear and tripped over Brutal's feet in the process. Del went down hard, hitting the linoleum with the back of his head. Mr Jingles jumped off of Del's shoulder and rushed to Angela's cell. Angela picked mr Jingles up and cradled him in her hands as Del sat up, painfully clutching his head.

"Percy, you shit" Brutal said, while helping Del up.

Percy was half-laughing as he began to walk towards them, actually moved to apologize. He didn't notice that while he was walking, he was drifting much too close to Wharton's cell.

"Del" Percy said "Hey, you numb wit, I didn't mean nothing by it. You all ri..."

Wharton's arms shot out and seized Percy, cutting off his words and slamming him back against the bars with an arm around his throat. Percy squealed in fear, thinking he was going to die. The guards drew their nightsticks, as Wharton stroked Percy's hair. Angela couldn't hear what Wharton was saying but she could see the fear on Percy's face increase ten-fold, and that was all she needed. Laughter bubbled up in her.

"Wharton" Edgecomb warned, having drawn his sidearm.

Wharton promptly let go of Percy, stepping back with his hands raised, laughing all the while. Percy darted across the Mile in terror and cringed against the cell opposite, Angela's cell, breathing so loud and fast it almost sounded like sobbing. Angela could hear Wharton making mocking excuses to the other guards but she didn't pay any attention to it. She was still trying to stop herself from laughing. That's when Del started laughing, not saying anything, just pointing at Percy's lower region. Everyone looked down and saw a huge dark stain spreading at his crotch.

"Lookit, he done piss his pants" Del laughed "Look what the big man done. He bus' other people wid 'is stick, mais oui some mauvais homme but someone touch him, he make water in his pants jus' like a baby"

Percy attempted to say something but all he could force out was a couple of nonsensical syllables as Brutal shoved Delacroix into his cell.

"Shut up, Del" Brutal warned.

Hearing Brutal tell Del to shut up should have sobered Angela but it didn't, and she finally burst into laughter. Percy whirled around, red-faced and fuming, but Angela couldn't stop. Her laughter was cut off abruptly when Percy reached through the bars and grabbed a hold of Angela's hair. Mr Jingles squeaked and jumped onto the ground, rushing across the floor and back to Del. Angela yelped when Percy yanked her to him and screamed when he pulled at her hair.

"Percy" Edgecomb bellowed.

Edgecomb and Brutal reached Percy at the same time and they pulled him away, but not before he managed to pull a lock of Angela's hair out. Brutal punched Percy in the face and would have continued to beat him if Edgecomb and Stanton hadn't held him back.

Percy didn't argue or struggle when Terwilliger dragged him out of the Green Mile and into the office. Angela sobbed as she sat on the ground of her cell, Brutal opened the cell door and walked in, gathering her in his arms and holding her as she cried.

Del was no longer laughing as he sadly looked at Angela crying. Coffey was quiet too, sitting on his bunk, resting his elbows on his knees. Wharton, however, had a mesmerized look on his face.

"Thas what she look like when she cry, huh?" he whispered so softly no one could hear.

Angela calmed down after a little while but she didn't let go of Brutal. Her head hurt, and not just where the lock of hair came out. She was trembling all over and she felt certain she wouldn't sleep very well that night.

A/N : Depressing end I know, but I've never been good at creating a good ending for each chapter. I'm happy about the way the chapter turned out, I hope you all feel the same. Review and let me know.


	14. Chapter 14 : Unforgivable

A/N : No excuses this time, I was just too lazy to post another chapter. Shame on me, I know. I'll try not to let it happen again. Please review and tell me what you think.

_July 2, 1939._

The day after Percy Whetmore's savage attack on her, Angela was sitting on her bunk, trying desperately to read her book without paying attention to the ever present leer on Wharton's face. He had once again taken to watching her and it was driving her nuts.

She couldn't imagine what she would do if his staring went on for much longer, but she knew nothing could be done. She could tell Brutal but what was he to do?. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought, she would just have to put up with it.

After a few more minutes of trying to read, she put the book away and walked to the bars. She forcefully ignored Wharton's stares as she looked at Del's cell. Boss Edgecomb had joined Del in his cell and they were now talking about who would get Del's mouse. Del was tossing a spool on the ground, and mr Jingles kept bringing it back. Edgecomb finally said that he would take the mouse.

"T'ank you kindly, merci beaucoup, but you live out in the woods and mr Jingles, he be scared to live out dans la forêt" Del said softly.

"He whisper that in your ear?" Edgecomb asked.

Del nodded, before tossing the spool again. They were all silent for a while until Brutal suggested they take him to Mouseville. Angela smiled, she was no rocket scientist herself but she knew there was no such thing as Mouseville. He was saying it for Del. Del was very excited about Mouseville, so excited that he tossed the spool extra hard and went clattering down the Mile. Mr Jingles went down the Mile as well, not noticing his old enemy, Percy Whetmore standing close by.

"Percy, no" Brutal warned.

But Percy ignored him and stomped on poor Mr Jingles. There was a soft snap as the mouse's back broke. Angela and Del's screams intermingled as they saw it happen. Del collapsed against his bars, calling mr Jingles name while Angela sobbed, her hands pressed over her mouth.

"Knew I'd get him sooner or later" Percy said, a smug smile on his face "Just a matter of time, really"

Percy strolled up the Mile, leaving mr Jingles dying in a tiny puddle of blood. Edgecomb tried to comfort Del, cursing Percy all the while. Brutal crossed the Mile and reached for Angela through her bars. She collapsed against him as best as she could, burying her face in his shoulder as she cried. Wharton was still staring at Angela, that mesmerized look back on his face. Del was still screaming, all his pent-up terror and grief pouring out at the dying mouse.

"Give'm to me" Coffey's soft voice came.

Edgecomb turned to John Coffey, who was standing at his bars, one of his massive hands stretched out.

"Give'm to me" Coffey said again "Might still be time"

Angela's sobbing quieted down and Del was looking at Coffey, now only gasping as tears rolled down his face. Edgecomb hesitated for a moment before scooping the mouse up off the floor, wincing at the feel of it. Angela gasped as she saw splintered bones poking through the small mouse's hide and she buried her face in Brutal's jacket again.

"What are you doing?" Brutal asked Edgecomb.

Edgecomb didn't answer, he gave mr Jingles to Coffey, who gently cupped the creature in his hands. Only its tail was visible, and it was twitching weakly as the small mouse died.

"Paul, what the hell..." Brutal began, holding Angela a little closer.

Edgecomb motioned for Brutal to be quiet. Terwilliger and Stanton joined the others and looked on.

"Please, John" Del pleaded "Oh Johnny, help him, please help him, s'il vous plait"

Angela raised her hand and watched as Coffey literally sucked the death out of the mouse. Coffey's face contorted and he started making horrendous choking sounds in his throat.

Angela gasped "His tail, look at mr Jingles' tail"

Everyone did and saw that it was no longer weak and limp, it was snapping briskly back and forth, as if ready to play. Coffey retched and gagged and exhaled a cloud of swirling black insects from his nose and mouth. The bugs slowly disappeared and Coffey bent down to let mr Jingles out of his hand. Angela laughed happily as the mouse bounded from Coffey's fingers and sped to Del's cell. Del laughed and cried as he held the dear mouse close.

"What did you do?" Stanton asked.

"I helped Del's mouse" Coffey said simply "He a circus mouse. Goan live in a mouse city down in...down in..."

"Florida?" Brutal offered numbly.

Coffey nodded "Boss Percy's bad. He mean. He step on Del's mouse. I took it back, though"

Coffey then placed himself on his bunk and turned away from them all. Angela smiled at Brutal and he hesitantly smiled back, still not knowing what to think of all of it. Angela noticed that he was still holding her, but she didn't mind. Brutal, in turn, didn't really feel like letting go. He had to, however, when Edgecomb called to him.

"Brute, come along with me" he said, before turning to Terwilliger and Stanton "You fellas go on back to your cribbage game"

Brutal kissed Angela on her nose, making her giggle, before kissing her on her lips. Brutal reluctantly let go of her and followed Edgecomb up the Mile. Angela sat down and sighed happily, not even caring that Wharton was _still_ watching her. She couldn't help but laugh when Percy came back and saw mr Jingles, his eyes nearly falling out of his head. He stalked away, going back to where he came from and Angela shook her head in amusement. Her smile disappeared and her eyes darkened as she thought of what Percy had done. She may have been able to forgive him for physically attacking her, but killing, or attempting to kill, Del's mouse was unforgivable.

A/N : I apologize if I made any errorsinthe French bits, I don't speak French myself.


	15. Chapter 15 : No Idea

A/N : It's a short one, I know, but lately I've been lacking the time to really work on this story. I figured I'd post a short chapter just to let everybody know that I'm by no means giving up on the story. This is that short chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

_July 3, 1939._

Angela watched anxiously as Edgecomb, Brutal and Terwilliger walked over to the bars of Eduard Delacroix's cell. After asking Edgecomb to take care of his mouse for him, Del placed mr Jingles on Edgecomb's shoulder.

"Del, I can't have a mouse on my shoulder while...you know" Edgecomb said.

"I'll take him" Angela said "Just for a little while. If Del doesn't mind"

"Yeah, you take 'im. Take him til' dis foolishment done, bien" Del said to Angela before turning to Brutal and Edgecomb "After, you take him down to Florida?. To dat Mouseville?"

"We'll do it together, most likely. Maybe take a little vacation time" Brutal answered.

Edgecomb moved to Angela's cell and the mouse skittered from his shoulder to her hand.

"People pay a dime apiece to see him" Del continued, still enraptured with the idea of Mouseville"Two cents for the kiddies. Ain't dat right, Boss Howell?"

"That's right, Del" Brutal said.

"You a good man, Boss Howell" Del said "You too, Boss Edgecomb. Wish I could'a met you both someplace else"

Del moved out of his cell and closer to Angela's cell.

"Au revoir, mon ami. Je t'aime, mon petit" Del said to mr Jingles before turning his eyes to Angela.

"It was nice knowing you, Del" Angela said softly, her voice cracking.

"You too, joli gamine, you too" Del said with a smile.

Angela reached out and Del briefly clasped her hand, the first and only physical contact they would ever have. Del walked on followed by Edgecomb, Brutal and Terwilliger and Angela watched them go.

Angela paced back and forth in her cell, something terrible had happened. She had heard the screaming coming from the execution chamber, had heard the panicked calls of the guards present at Del's execution and had seen thestressed looks on their faces when they came back to the Mile.

Brutal and Edgecomb had walked passed the cells, checking on the remaining three occupants. They had also told Wild Bill, who had been hollering and singing since Del's execution, to shut up, something for which Angela was immensely grateful. She now looked back and forth between Brutal and Edgecomb, both of them looking very pale and very pissed off.

"What happened?" Angela asked.

Edgecomb shook his head and walked back to the small office at the end of the Mile. Angela turned to Brutal.

"Brutal?" Angela questioned.

Brutal shook his head as well but didn't walk off. He reached through the bars and held Angela in his arms as best as he could, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could open her cell and hold her properly. Angela sighed as he held her, he wasn't going to tell her but Angela knew something had happened, why else would they be so upset?.

Later that night, Angela was asleep. If she had been awake she might have noticed Wild Bill asking Percy to come out of the small office to speak with him, she might have heard Wild Bill talking to a fearful but interested Percy, and she might have seen them turn to her, psychotic grins on their faces. As it was, she had no idea what was going to happen. No idea.


	16. Chapter 16 : Injuries of the Heart

July 4, 1939 

Angela woke up to the sound of keys opening her celldoor. She frowned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and her eyes widened as she saw who it was.

"Get up" Percy ordered "You're coming with me"

"Coming with you where?" Angela asked.

"No questions, little girl, get moving" Percy said coldly.

Angela thought about fighting him, or at least yelling, but surely he had a reason for taking her from her cell?. She kept quiet as she sat up on her bunk and got to her feet. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her from her cell, a little rougher than Angela thought was strictly necessary.

"Where are we going?" Angela asked again.

But Percy didn't answer, he just kept dragging her along and Angela was starting to panic. She hadn't been cuffed which was very strange as it was standard procedure to cuff any deathrow occupant when they left their cell. She suddenly found herself shoved into a small room. She gasped as she saw who was inside. Wild Bill Wharton grinned as he looked at the small woman.

"Well, well, lookie here" Wharton said, waving his arms around "No bars between us, how 'bout that?"

Angela gave a small scream as she whirled around and tried to open the door that had been closed behind her but it was locked. Wharton grabbed her from behind and she screamed as she struggled.

Brutal walked into the small office, hanging his coat on the hatrack and putting his cap on the desk, before making his way down the Mile. He frowned when he saw Wharton wasn't in his cell and his eyes widened when he saw Angela wasn't in hers either.

"Boss Percy took her, went in there and took her away" Coffey said softly.

Brutal shook his head to quell the growing panic and rage before turning around. He quickly searched everywhere before he found Percy, in the execution chamber, reading a book. Brutal wasted no time, he just grabbed Percy and pulled him out of his chair.

"Where is she, Percy?" he all but roared.

"Where is...?" Percy began to say.

"Don't play with me" Brutal warned in a low voice "Don't you dare..."

Brutal was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream coming from a small room used for storage purposes. He dropped Percy and ran to the room. Percy knew better than to try and stop him. Brutal tried the door but it was locked, he grabbed his keys and unlocked the door as quickly as he could without dropping the keys. He nearly ripped the door from its hinges going in, and what he saw made him see red.

Angela was pressed up against the wall, Wild Bill pressing her against it with his own body. Her shirt was already off and Wharton was in the process of removing her pants. Wharton whirled around when Brutal came in and grinned a mad grin. Angela had apparently tried to defend herself because the man had a welt on the side of his face and several scratches on his arms and hands.

Wild Bill flew at Brutal but he was no match for the big man, especially since Brutal was very angry. Brutal punched Wharton several times before dropping him to the ground, unconscious. He then turned to Angela, who had crawled into a corner, sobbing and shaking. Brutal slowly approached the small girl, kneeling down close to her. Angela had her eyes squeezed shut and she was rocking herself back and forth.

"Angela?" Brutal said softly.

Angela's head came up and Brutal winced as he saw the blood running from her nose and the bruises already forming on the left side of her face. It made him want to pull Wharton up from the floor and punch him some more. Instead he reached for Angela to hold her, but he didn't have to. Angela launched herself at him and sobbed into his shoulder. She was brought to the hospital and treated for her injuries, but the most important injuries couldn't be treated. Those injuries could only be healed by time.


	17. Chapter 17 : Confessions

All hell had broken loose after the attack on Angela. Wharton had been put in the restraint room and Angela had been taken to the hospital but much to Brutal's frustration there wasn't much he could do to Percy.

"Where is Angela now?" Edgecomb asked as he and Brutal sat at the office desk.

"Where do you think, Paul?" Brutal asked, exasperated "She's in the hospital"

"Where's Wharton?" Edgecomb asked.

"In the restraint room" Brutal ground out through clenched teeth "And you better make sure he stays there"

"You know we can't keep him there for much longer" Edgecomb said, throwing Brutal a worried glance "Think you can control yourself enough to not kill him, or Percy"

Brutal abruptly got to his feet and looked down at Edgecomb.

"Keep both of them out of my way" Brutal said in a low voice "And it wont have to come to that"

Brutal walked off, leaving Edgecomb staring after him. Edgecomb sighed and ran a hand over his face, it had been a terrible day on The Green Mile and while he didn't doubt that Angela would recover from this particular incident, her execution date was drawing near, and there would be no healing her after that.

He was worried for Brutal, if he got so upset that Angela got hurt, what would the big man do after Angela was executed?. Would he lose it?. Edgecomb sighed again, he had no answers, only questions. He supposed he would just have to be there for his friend.

That very same day, John Coffey healed the wife of the warden, keeping the bugs inside of him rather than spewing them out. He would spew them out later, straight into Percy, who would go insane and kill Wild Bill Wharton. Angela experiences none of it as she was still in the hospital, but the consequences would affect her. Wharton was dead and Percy was locked up in a mental ward so she would at least be rid of both of them for the remaining days before her execution.

July 5, 1939 

Angela was brought back to her cell about halfway through the day, after being dismissed from the hospital. She frowned when she saw that Wharton's cell was empty.

"What happened?" Angela asked Coffey softly.

"Boss Percy went mad. He shoot Wild Billy dead" Coffey said just as softly.

Angela sat down on her bunk, letting Coffey's words sink in. Wharton was dead. She supposed that should make her feel good, but it didn't. Even after all he had done, she couldn't feel glad that he was dead. She forcefully pushed the thoughts away and instead thought of something more pleasant. Her Brutal. He and Boss Stanton had picked her up from the hospital and had taken her back to The Green Mile.

While she was less than pleased about having to go back to the Mile, she was more than thrilled to be near Brutal again. And if the smile on his face, as he passed her cell while doing a cell check, was any indication, he was happy too. Angela smiled as she settled back on her bunk.

Later that night, while John Coffey was watching his 'flicker-show' as a final request before his execution the next day, Paul Edgecomb went to see Angela in her cell, neither knew that Brutal was listening nearby.

"Angela, how are you feeling?" Edgecomb asked.

"Okay, I guess" Angela said "I don't think the reality of being so close to death has sunk in yet"

Edgecomb slowly nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"We all die at some point" Angela continued "I just didn't think I'd die aged 23"

"I don't think any of us expect to die before we're good and old" Edgecomb said.

Now it was Angela's turn to nod "I guess so. But I can't help but think my situation is slightly different to that of other people"

And Edgecomb couldn't disagree with that.

"Some people spend all their time making sure justice prevails" Angela suddenly said "I'm going to be executed for a crime I didn't commit in two days time, where's the justice in that?"

"I don't know" Edgecomb whispered "I don't know what to tell you, except I am so sorry that this is happening"

"I know you are" Angela said, smiling slightly "I just wish…"

"What?" Edgecombs asked, softly.

"Nothing" Angela said, looking down "It doesn't matter, it's too late now"

"Tell me, Angel" Edgecomb said.

Angela smiled as she heard him call her Angel.

"I…I just wish I had told Brutal how I truly feel about him" she said "Alot has happened these past two weeks, I think he knows I care, but I don't think he knows...that I'm falling in love with him"

Brutal's eyes widened at this, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. She felt the same, it was hopeless, it was insane, but she felt the same. Edgecomb almost smiled when he heard this confession. Brutal had told him about his feelings for the small young woman, and Edgecomb really did feel bad that all this had to happen.


	18. Chapter 18 : All They Need To Know

_July 6, 1939 _

Angela was on her bunk, reading her book when she saw someone move out of the corner of her eye. She smiled when she saw who it was and put her book down. She got up and stood at the bars, pressing a light kiss to the lips of the man she now knew she was in love with.

"Hey" she said.

"Hey yourself" Brutal said, a small smile on his face as he gently stroked her cheek.

"Did you need something?" Angela asked, a small smile now on her face as well.

"No, just wanted to see you" Brutal said softly.

Angela's smile brightened as she heard him say that. He was so sweet to her. She constantly wondered what she had done to deserve him, but usually told herself to stop wondering and just enjoy the time she had with him, even if she didn't have much time left. That thought made her smile fade. Brutal gently grasped her chin and tilted her head back, giving her a questioning look.

"Not much longer now" she simply said.

Brutal's face immediately turned serious and he let go of her chin. He slowly nodded, a pained look on his face.

"I know. I...I really...I wish..." Brutal said, fumbling for the right words, before he looked down at her and decided to simply show her how he felt, and hope that that was enough.

He circled her waist with his arms as best he could through the bars, and pressed his lips to hers, pouring all his emotion into it, not caring if they were in plain view. Angela returned the kiss with fervour, silently telling him all he needed to know.

Angela woke up with a start that night. She sat up slowly, wondering what had pulled her from her sleep, when she noticed Edgecomb, Terwilliger, Stanton and Brutal standing outside of Coffey's cell. She gasped as she realized what they were there for.

She got up and rushed to the bars of her cell, watching wide-eyed as Brutal unlocked the cell, sliding the door open. Coffey stepped out of the cell, looking around at the dazed and sad faces of the guards.

"I be all right, fellas. This here's the hard part. I be all right in a little while" Coffey said quietly.

"This isn't right" Angela cried "He shouldn't be executed, he didn't do anything"

Brutal stepped to Angela and covered her hands with his own but her eyes remained on Coffey.

"John..." she said, trailing off.

"Things is the way they is, Angela" Coffey said, a soft smile on his face "I'll see you in heaven I will"

"But..." Angela began.

"Calm yourself, Angela, it can't be helped" Edgecomb said, but his eyes were haunted and pained.

Edgecomb turned back to Coffey and indicated the St. Christopher medal around his neck.

"John, I should have that just for now. I'll give it back after" Edgecomb said.

Coffey gave his medal to Edgecomb, who put it in his pocket, and gave Angela a last smile before they started walking up the Mile. Brutal kissed both of Angela's hands before following them.

"You know, I fell asleep this afternoon and had me a dream. I dreamed about Del's mouse" Angela heard Coffey say.

"Did you, John?" she heard Edgecomb reply.

"I dreamed he got down to that place Boss Howell talked about, that Mouseville place" she heard Coffey say and as his voice faded away and the unfairness of it all crashed down on her, Angela broke down and cried.


	19. Chapter 19 : The Final Day

_July 7, 1939._

The execution chamber was grey and grim under any circumstances, but never had it seemed more daunting and more terrible than this day. The day had come, as he had known it would. It was time.

Very nearly choking on his words, Brutal ground out "Angela Davis, you have been condemned to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge in good standing in this state. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?"

Angela smiled slightly and shook her head.

"There's nothing left to say" she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

Brutal nodded slightly though he knew she couldn't see him. He desperately looked at Edgecomb, silently asking if the last minute call had come, and closed his eyes when Edgecomb sadly shook his head.

"Roll on one" Brutal said, as steadily as he could muster.

Terwilliger rolled on one, and waited shakily.

"Roll on two" Brutal said, almost as a whisper.

Brutal clenched his eyes shut as Terwilliger rolled on two and screamed as the electricity slammed through Angela's body. He kept screaming as he watched her die when suddenly he sat up and panted loudly. He looked around him and closed his eyes. He was at home, in bed. He glanced at the alarm-clock, 3.29 am, and laid himself back down again. It was the 7th of July, 1939. The execution hadn't happened…yet.

Brutal closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath as he opened the door that lead to the Green Mile. Today was the day Angela Davis would be executed, executed for a crime she did not commit. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him. He deposited his cap on his desk and made his way directly to the Mile.

He had wondered alot about the injustice of the world over the past two weeks but never had he wondered as much as he did when he saw the small girl laid out on her bunk, fast asleep, in fetal position. Her hair had fallen across her face, minus the part Percy had pulled out, and her right arm was tucked underneath her head.

To Brutal she looked like the most angelic creature alive, and he almost choked as he realized she wasn't going to be there much longer.

Angela closed her eyes as they shaved her head. Her hair, her pride since she was little, was being removed from her head for her execution. Execution. For the past two weeks the word had had no meaning to her but now, now that it was imminent, it was a torturous word. A word she couldn't say out loud.

She looked around her as they continued to shave her head, blinking every time some of her hair fell into her eyes. Paul Edgecomb, Harry Terwilliger and Dean Stanton looked very sad and very gloomy, but Brutal, _her_ Brutal…there were no words to describe the look on his face. He looked like Angela felt, like he was on the verge of insanity.

Angela smiled slightly when she realized that she had never thought of him as _her_ Brutal before. Not that it really mattered anymore. The shaving-apparatus was turned off, indicating that she was now well and truly bald and ready to be executed. Angela tried hard not to wince as she felt the top of her head but her dismay was evident on her face as she was guided back to her cell. She knew the loss of her hair was of no consequence, not compared to what was going to happen but it hurt, everything hurt.

Angela sat on her bunk and looked around, it was silent around her, which was strange because it had been very noisy, almost all the time, for the past two weeks. Now, Delacroix was gone, improperly executed thanks to Percy Whetmore. Wild Bill had been shot to death by a crazed Whetmore, who had been carted off to a psychiatric ward. And John Coffey was dead, executed for a crime he didn't commit, just like Angela was going to be. Angela laid back on her bunk and sighed. _Just like I am going to be._

Brutal threw his cap down on the desk and sat down, placing his head in his hands.

"Brutal" Edgecomb said, softly.

Brutal slowly looked up at his friend and locked eyes with him.

"I know this is very hard for you. Why don't you let me lead her…?" Edgecomb said trailing off, not wanting to say the word, execution.

"NO" Brutal said, louder than he had meant to. He continued in a whisper "No, I need to do this. I can't explain it, I just…"

Edgecomb nodded and briefly patted Brutal's shoulder. Brutal watched Edgecomb walk away and shook his head. How was he going to deal with this?. If it was anything like in his dream, how was he going to keep his sanity?. He sighed as he realized he didn't know, he had a thousand questions, but no answers.


	20. Chapter 20 : Execution

_July 7, 1939_

Her hands were clammy, her feet were heavy, and her heart was racing. She was being led down the corridor that would take her to the execution chamber. The moment had arrived, and she was terrified. Before this day, she had been shove the thought of execution away, but this day, all she knew was fear.

Edgecomb and Brutal walked ahead of her, Stanton and Terwilliger behind her. Brutal's shoulders were slouched, his walk pained, and Angela knew that he was hurt, not physically, but emotionally. She wished that there was something she could say to make him feel better, but there was nothing. No comfort. No words. It was time.

The small crowd that populated the execution chamber looked on as she was led in, and brought to the electric chair. Old sparky it was called, she remembered. _I wonder who came up with that name. _It didn't matter, but her mind insisted on thinking about it, insisted on thinking about anything but what was coming.

This was it, and all she wanted to do was scream and beg them not to do it, but she knew she couldn't, she couldn't put them through that. She had to be strong for Brutal, and for her mother, who was in the crowd, her eyes filled with tears, her whole body trembling.

Stanton and Edgecomb quietly placed her on the electric chair, but Angela was barely aware of it. She wasn't aware that Edgecomb, Stanton and Terwilliger looked pained, she wasn't aware that sadness radiated from almost every person in the room. Her eyes had locked onto Brutal's, and she had to push back a sob when she saw the pain in his eyes.

Her hands and feet were locked into place, and her heart sped up, faster and faster it started beating, as fear coursed through her body to the point where she thought she would be sick. Her resolve wavered when they locked her chest into place and her resolve crumbled when Stanton soaked the sponge and placed it on her head, underneath the straps. Tears ran down her face, and she started breathing heavily. _I don't want to die, please don't make me die._

Brutal's heart was broken, and it was all he could do not to rush forward and hold her in his arms when he saw her lose her composure. He closed his eyes and forced back his tears, not wanting to think about what he would do once she was gone, not really caring what would become of him. It was all over.

His mind flashed back to his dream where he had forced himself to preside over her execution, and now that the moment had come, he didn't know if he could do it. Didn't know if he could say the words that would end her life for good.

Stanton and Edgecomb stepped back from the chair. Edgecomb slowly turned to Brutal, and gently indicated that it was time. Brutal swallowed hard, feeling like he might throw up, as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Angela Davis, You have been condemned...to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge in good standing in this state. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?" he choked out, the few sentences taking him twice as long as they normally would.

Angela closed her eyes and let out a short sob before she whispered "I love you"

None in the crowd knew who she was speaking to, but Brutal knew and he closed his eyes before he locked eyes with Angela, who had opened hers, and whispered back "I love you too"

Brutal turned to Edgecomb, pleading with him to say something to stop this but he slowly shook his head. Brutal turned back to Angela.

"Roll on one" he said softly, his voice cracking.

Angela could feel the electricity being charged, could feel it course through the air and she swallowed hard as she squeezed her eyes shut. The last thing she heard before everything went black was somebody yelling "STOP"

Blackness prevailed for what seemed like mere seconds, and it quickly made way for consciousness. As she woke up, Angela became aware of cool sheets and soft pillows. She opened her eyes, and quickly closed them again when bright light hit her eyes.

She slowly opened them again and blinked until she could see properly. She looked to her left and straight into the handsome face of Brutus Howell. A smile was on his lips, his eyes twinkled and his stance was relaxed. Angela smiled back and reached for him, he gladly wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and Angela found herself revelling in his embrace, gentle but firm. They broke apart after a time.

"I'm not dead" Angela whispered in awe.

"No, you're not" Brutal whispered back, an amused glint in his eyes.

"What happened?" Angela asked softly.

"Your execution was called off at the last minute" Brutal said "And you fainted"

Angela slowly nodded in understanding, before she smiled again and pulled Brutal to her. Their lips met and they kissed for a long while. When they broke apart, Angela smiled nervously.

"What?" Brutal asked gently.

"I'm bald" she whispered.

"You're gorgeous" Brutal whispered back.

Angela smiled shyly and kissed him again. When they once again stopped, Brutal gave her a gentle smile and said "Someone wants to see you"

"Who?" Angela asked, her mind muddled from the kiss.

Brutal moved aside and revealed her mother standing at the foot of the bed.

"Momma" Angela breathed, tears rising in her eyes.

"Oh, my baby" her mother sobbed as she rushed forward.

Angela and mrs Davis clutched at eachother as they both sobbed.

"I knew it, I knew you were innocent" mrs Davis said, kissing her forehead and her cheeks.

Brutal watched the reunion from a small distance, smiling gently all the while. When Angela and mrs Davis let go of eachother, the latter turned to Brutal.

"Well then, mr Howell, I hear you love my daughter" she said.

"Momma" Angela protested.

"Hush now, darling" mrs Davis said to Angela, before turning back to Brutal "Do you truly?"

"Yes, ma'am" Brutal said softly.

"And do you intend to take good care of her?" mrs Davis asked.

"Yes, ma'am" Brutal said again, shooting a tender look at Angela.

A warm smile spread across mrs Davis' face "Then may I be the first to welcome you to the family?"

A/N : Fluffy ending I know, read the epilogue, it only get's worse, lol.


	21. Chapter 21 : Epilogue

_Years later..._

"Noelle"

No answer.

"Noelle"

Still no answer.

"Noelle, you answer me, young lady" Angela called.

When there was still no answer, Angela walked into the livingroom where she knew her daughter to be.

"Brutal, why..." Angela began, but stopped when she came upon a heart-warming scene.

Brutal was laid out on the sofa, a tiny blonde haired girl tucked into his chest. Both were asleep. Angela's face softened as she looked at the two joys of her life. _Well, two out of three, _she thought as she rubbed her swollen belly. She walked to the sofa and placed a quilt over the two sleeping forms, before she went back into the kitchen. Life was good, and she knew in her heart that it would stay that way.


End file.
